How precious is a 'limited edition'?

[Corbs]

How do people feel about the modification, customisation, or just plain breaking up for parts of limited edition models?

 

Is it a complete no-no? Does it depend on the production run size, for example if you are scrapping number 3248 of 4000, presumably that's less bad than destroying number 50 of 500?

 

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

It's only a model, do what you like.

[Fat Controller]

Given production batch sizes, surely most models these days are limited-editions anyway?

[Siberian Snooper]

If you're buying it in the hopes that it might be worth something leave it in the box if you're buying it to use, then do as you wish, or be greedy and buy two, then you have the best of both worlds.

 

 

 

 

[tomparryharry]

Oh dear, the limited edition. Yes, it can be a limited edition, but to what extent?  As others say, 50,000? 5?  If it's a seller, then the producer won't go scrapping off the equipment so no more can be made. Some say it's just a model, and I tend to agree.  If something is unique,  then that's a different matter. One vendor on Eh-Bah-Gum is listing a Hornby Clerestory brake 3rd, which the vendor describes as 'rare'. Really? I have some locomotives that haven't made it out of the boxes yet. They aren't rare as such, or limited. It's just I haven't got my grubby little hands on them yet!

 

I remember Ford couldn't sell the Capri model. They recalled them all back, tarted them up, and sold them as the 'Brooklands Limited Edition'.  Still, however, a Ford Capri 2.8i .... Still with rear drum brakes....

[andyman7]

Ultimately its yours to with as you wish. Limited edition of itself is absolutely meaningless, all models are limited to their production run. The key is whether future demand outstrips available examples. 'Limited Editions' will not have any additional value over a non-Limited edition.

 

It is however much easier to sell on a model in good 'as-made' condition than one that has had average modifications made to it, so if you've no plans to sell ever, that's not an issue. If you (like many modellers) end up acquiring models for future projects that may or not may not come to fruition, best test them and then leave them as they are until such a project actually happens. That way, if plans change you can fund your alternatives.

 

I do recall an MRC article from the 1960s which showed how to carve up a Hornby Dublo E3002 into an SR Electro-Diesel. Basically it meant taking a model that would soon be worth several hundred pounds in mint condition and destroying it to make a not very good class 73 that within a decade and a half would be blown out of the water by the Lima version. The Hornby Dublo E3002 was, notably, not a limited edition but not that many were made and demand eventually well outstripped supply from HD collectors.

[Steamport Southport]

It depends on what it is.

 

Repainting or drastically altering* a mint condition limited edition model that is highly sought after is a no no IMO. Just get a bog standard one as they are usually cheaper and more plentiful anyway. Sell it to somebody who wants that one and you are probably up on the deal.

 

*I mean totally changing the model as opposed to a bit of usual detailing/weathering/etc.

 

 

 

Jason

[John M Upton]

So called Limited Editions can turn into big money losers.  Remember all those Diecast  buses and Lledo rubbish with the prized certificate number 2,345 of 'only' 15,000?

 

Most of them are barely worth the cost of the postage on Ebay now so I say do with them what you want.

[Edge]

I grabbed a load of limited edition models (most of them have moved on to other buyers now anyway) because I wanted something a little bit different from the run of the mill. My bude with stanier tender will never leave me, because its weird, and I like weird.

 

If you get a limited edition which is cheap then i see no issue with you modifying something you own. As regards to the value of numbers, I think only number 1 of a run is of real stand out value. Perhaps the highest number in a run or if the number does something like matching the loco number that could raise the price a teeny bit, but i dont see it making too much difference frankly.

[Corbs]

Yes, good points all round. 

Specifically I was contemplating carving up (effectively destroying) a Heljan 'Kestrel' (one of 4000 made). I could find a Silver Fox one but plain bodyshells seem scarce. The cost difference was negligible between a complete Silver Fox one and a Heljan one, but the detail difference and quality of moulding is a big leap.

[crompton 33]

You have only got to look at all the Lima limited edition .  These day's what are they worth Not a lot

[laurenceb]

Look on the bright side - you are making other peoples model that bit more valuable!

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Corbs said:

Yes, good points all round. 

Specifically I was contemplating carving up (effectively destroying) a Heljan 'Kestrel' (one of 4000 made). I could find a Silver Fox one but plain bodyshells seem scarce. The cost difference was negligible between a complete Silver Fox one and a Heljan one, but the detail difference and quality of moulding is a big leap.

By today's standards, 4,000 is not anywhere near limited edition status. Many normal production runs are less than that these days. Given the discounts Hatton's  offered to clear out the last of them, 4,000 was more than enough to satisfy demand.

 

I've a couple of Hornby locos issued under "Collectors' Club" labelling and they are stated as being runs of 1,200. They go back a decade or so, and I believe some newer ones have been as few as 500.

 

Heljan Kestrels aren't hard to find, and don't command premium prices when you do (despite what some "optimists" might ask on ebay) so you won't be wrecking a priceless heirloom. By definition, a "Collectors' Item" is something that survives in good condition when most of those made have been binned or deteriorated to a point where they are worth about 1% of what a mint one will fetch. Nobody knows which models will be sought after in fifty years time anyhow. At worst, it's unlikely that you will be doing more than maybe depriving your great grandkids of a couple of hundred quid.

 

 

John

Edited October 8, 2019 by Dunsignalling

[tomparryharry]

Anyone remember the Korean-made panniers? They were highly sought after, being so much better than the Triang-Hornby model of the day.  I would dearly love to have one, but, that was decades ago. Mainline effectively cut straight through that market. Nowadays, the limited edition appeal has, as always, the niche element. Nowadays f I wanted a pannier, I wouldn't shell out the extra £100's  to buy a brass one, when I can purchase  3 brand new  models for the same price. 

 

Precious can stay precious (I'm starting to sound like Gollum!) but life does move on.

 

Cheers,

Ian.

[Steamport Southport]

5 hours ago, tomparryharry said:

Anyone remember the Korean-made panniers? They were highly sought after, being so much better than the Triang-Hornby model of the day.  I would dearly love to have one, but, that was decades ago. Mainline effectively cut straight through that market. Nowadays, the limited edition appeal has, as always, the niche element. Nowadays f I wanted a pannier, I wouldn't shell out the extra £100's  to buy a brass one, when I can purchase  3 brand new  models for the same price. 

 

Precious can stay precious (I'm starting to sound like Gollum!) but life does move on.

 

Cheers,

Ian.

 

I was never impressed with those.

 

There was also the brass narrow gauge models of things like Darjeeling saddle tanks and American Shays. Cost about £500 in 1980s prices. Far less now considering inflation.

 

Very nice. But would you paint one?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153400797965

 

 

 

Jason

[Damo666]

20 hours ago, Corbs said:

 

Specifically I was contemplating carving up (effectively destroying) a Heljan 'Kestrel' (one of 4000 made).

Not one of them! Nooooooooooooooooo.

No, wait.

 

Oh, OK then.

[Mark Saunders]

The more of a limited edition that gets destroyed, modified, painted/weathered increases the value of the remaining ones!

 

However it takes time or rare to become real (except on ebay)!

 

Mark Saunders

[w124bob]

On 08/10/2019 at 17:39, tomparryharry said:

Oh dear, the limited edition. Yes, it can be a limited edition, but to what extent?  As others say, 50,000? 5?  If it's a seller, then the producer won't go scrapping off the equipment so no more can be made. Some say it's just a model, and I tend to agree.  If something is unique,  then that's a different matter. One vendor on Eh-Bah-Gum is listing a Hornby Clerestory brake 3rd, which the vendor describes as 'rare'. Really? I have some locomotives that haven't made it out of the boxes yet. They aren't rare as such, or limited. It's just I haven't got my grubby little hands on them yet!

 

I remember Ford couldn't sell the Capri model. They recalled them all back, tarted them up, and sold them as the 'Brooklands Limited Edition'.  Still, however, a Ford Capri 2.8i .... Still with rear drum brakes....

Have you seen the value of Capri's recently! If you'd bought one of the run out models of any engine cc and stuffed it under the bed with your Lima loco's you'd be a happy bunny today. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

4 minutes ago, w124bob said:

Have you seen the value of Capri's recently! If you'd bought one of the run out models of any engine cc and stuffed it under the bed with your Lima loco's you'd be a happy bunny today. 

 

Capri's. Nice looking car for its day. But what an awful thing to drive! Why they should be valuable is a bit of a mystery to me. But then so are some other cars that were not all that good.

[Wheatley]

If I've bought it it's because I have a use for it. If that use involves carving it about then it gets carved. New, second  hand, limited edition,  doesn't matter. 

[Oldddudders]

I find buying models to accumulate wealth tacky at best. I see ebay offers on models that are simply less numerous than the rest of that production - and tightwads offering them at silly prices. Hornby's Fighter Command in grey comes to mind. £250+ for a Bulleid pacific, anyone? 

 

I also enjoy stories of the miffed. Some years ago Renault offered a LE sporting Clio, with loadsa grunt and a "Williams" monicker. They were good little hooligan cars, sold well, held their price. A short while later Renault trotted out a second run. The wailing and gnashing of teeth by original owners seeing their investment lose value was a pure joy.

 

Anything you buy is worth what you paid for it. If it is worth more to you after surgery, just do it. 

[Dunsignalling]

2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Capri's. Nice looking car for its day. But what an awful thing to drive! Why they should be valuable is a bit of a mystery to me. But then so are some other cars that were not all that good.

Just people who couldn't afford one back in the day, but can now, indulging their fantasies. Personally, I'd consider a nice new Mustang V8 to be far better value and a lot more fun.

 

TBH the only old Ford that would ever interest me would be a Mk1 Escort Mexico, with the Clubman pack. Unlike any Capri, that's a proper driver's car, and they fetch really serious money if authentic/original.

 

John

[friscopete]

I bought a  resin Minichamps Senna F3 Ralt ,an edition of only 100 ,last Christmas .it was on the Minichamps site about half an hour .I flipped for a naughty sum as any Senna car with that limited a run is a real collectors item .if it hadnt of jumped in price like crazy I would have been happy to keep it as it was nice model .I havnt seen one for sale since. Anthing colourful and 00 seems to sell well after its sold out at the manufacturer and of course the next batch has always jumped in price .Sometimes I just play with them a while ,sorry run them , and then sell them .I usually get my money back plus fees.

[Corbs]

Thanks all. Normally, any item of stock I buy, I've already written off the resale value in my mind - I don't expect to re-sell anything I've bought, ever, because I bought it to modify or use as parts. What I was concerned about was potentially sticking my boot in the hornets nest by destroying a rare object, but as others have mentioned, 4000 is hardly rare.

 

Where's that razor saw...

[Oldddudders]

6 minutes ago, friscopete said:

I bought a  resin Minichamps Senna F3 Ralt ,an edition of only 100 ,last Christmas .it was on the Minichamps site about half an hour .I flipped for a naughty sum as any Senna car with that limited a run is a real collectors item .if it hadnt of jumped in price like crazy I would have been happy to keep it as it was nice model .I havnt seen one for sale since. Anthing colourful and 00 seems to sell well after its sold out at the manufacturer and of course the next batch has always jumped in price .Sometimes I just play with them a while ,sorry run them , and then sell them .I usually get my money back plus fees.

But you liked the model. It had an intrinsic value to you. But such things can become ordinary in time, and shifting them then is simply good housekeeping.